The docent perspective

If you like history and museums, you might have taken a tour or two of a museum and thought about becoming a docent. What’s a docent, you ask? Docents are amazingly dedicated volunteers who support the museum’s mission by facilitating activity carts, leading tours, and engaging visitors in conversations about our exhibitions and programs.

Docent Ed Berkowitz at his activity cart.

But that description, while accurate, doesn’t really do the experience justice. Recently two of our volunteers, Mary Flury and Ed Berkowitz, shared why they enjoy being docents.

 
Watch the video

Feel inspired? Submit an application to be considered for our next docent class or check out opportunities around the Smithsonian.

Andrea Lowther is the manager of Visitor Programs at the National Museum of American History.